Pet groomers and pet owners alike generally recognize the benefits of periodic baths for their animals, particularly for dogs, although other animals may also benefit from periodic washing. Regardless of whether a pet is washed by a professional groomer or at home, the pet is typically placed in a wash basin, a sink, a bath tub, or a similar structure (collectively referred to herein as a “wash basin”) for washing. Washing a pet can lead to discomfort and anxiety for the pet, and a pet which is experiencing discomfort or anxiety places the groomer or pet owner at a higher risk of being bitten. At the same time, a pet experiencing discomfort or anxiety during a wash also places the pet at an increased risk of injury, and the risk of injury is only increased if the pet is restrained improperly within the wash basin.
In order to reduce the incidents of pets biting while they are being washed, specially designed wash basins have been developed in which a pet may be restrained within the wash basin. A problem with such wash basins is that they are designed as wash basins with a restraint system “bolted” on as an afterthought—and so the restraint system may be less than ideal. Moreover, because such wash basins require the user, whether a pet groomer or a pet owner, to invest in a whole new wash basin in order to gain the benefit of having the restraint system, many choose not to incur the costs of such an investment.
As a result, many pet groomers and pet owners have turned to after market restraint systems, to be used in conjunction with already-owned wash basins, in order to gain the recognized benefits of a pet restraint while washing the pet. Such after market restraint systems come in all types. One example of such a restraint system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,433. This restraint system includes a washing stand which fits into the bottom of a sink, so that the pet can stand on the washing stand, and a tether rises up from the washing stand to go around the pet's neck. Another example of a restraint system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,814. This restraint system discloses multiple tethers that attach to a pet's collar, each tether affixes to a suction cup, and the suction cups secure the tethers to the sides of the wash basin. Other versions of restraint systems that employ one or more tethers affixed to suction cups are also known. Yet another example of a restraint system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,625. This restraint system discloses a container having a lid with holes in it, with the pet being placed on the lid for washing, and a restraining bar is attached to the container, the restraining bar extending above the pet's head so that a restraining loop may secure the pet from overhead. Each of these after market restraint systems has shortcomings insofar as facilitating the washing environment for the pet and restraining the pet so as to minimize the discomfort and anxiety of the animal and increase safety of the groomer or pet owner.